Wow (and other stuff)-- un parcours époustouflé

South Koreans continue to debate whether to send combat troops to Iraq. A Korean team recently came back with a report saying the Iraq situation wasn't so bad, and that it might be fine to send combat troops (never mind the strange idea that combat troops should be sent only if there's no risk of dying in combat). That report, however, is being heavily questioned and is merely fueling the debate. Visit the Marmot for the goods.

Another contribution marmotique: NK has apparently said it is "barring" Japan from any more multilateral nuclear talks. This is laughable. I shit on North Korea's stupid government, and hope I live to see the day it implodes.

By the way, Marmot, your name is now Joseph according to Internet Ronin. Heh. Ronin also comments on the California recall election and his own vote.

Big things happening in Taiwan, if PRC News is any indication: Taiwan is getting bolder about arguing for its independence, and perhaps staging a referendum on the matter. I hope this happens, and I think the US needs to rethink the "one China" policy. Once it does this, it'll also be more able to address the awful Tibetan situation (though by many accounts, it's already far too late to reclaim Tibet for Tibetans).

The Washington Post is on the case.

Over at Flying Chair, an interesting recipe for baked stuffed chicken.

Great Arnold punditry from Andrew Sullivan.

Sullivan also points to an article about whether people are born gay.

Sullivan on deconstructing a reconstruction: the accusation that the war was based on a (false) premise of imminent threat.

Den Beste offers a critical view of transnational progressivism. My own feeling is that nothing lasts forever, including the idea of "nation." We may (we probably will) one day move beyond the idea of nationhood to something more global, but it ain't gonna happen in our lifetime. Or for another couple centuries.

Glenn's gym routine kicks my routine's ass. He's also given his girlfriend some interesting sage advice.

Merde in France on French vandalism.

A comment: One of the most entertaining things about Europe is the graffiti. Zurich has a ton of it; hell, every city does. It also tends to be a lot more political than what you see in America, though one of my favorite bits of American graffiti (ding-ding-- pop cultural reference) is found sprayed on the concrete wall opposite where I used to stand at the Brookland/CUA Metro station in DC:

Got a doctorate in cold rokin' it.

I don't have a damn clue what it means, but it's always intrigued me.

Can someone please tell me why China isn't releasing the launch date for its "taikonauts"? Meantime, here's a (cough) BBC article about the upcoming launch.

ABCNews.com with a provocative article on how the Pentagon may be inadvertently selling weapons components to terrorists.

Woo-hoo! ABC also has a piece on Tarantino's "Kill Bill." I'll be in the States in November; I hope it'll still be playing. Korean theaters occasionally have the annoying habit of cutting movies-- not so much for censorship purposes these days, as for allowing them to shorten run times and squeeze in an extra viewing. I'd rather see the flick in America.

[Note: Having seen "The Matrix Reloaded" three times in the States, I noticed no cutting when I saw it, geek that I am, a fourth time in Korea. Maybe big Hollywood studios grumble at the Korean practice. Or maybe they grumble only when it's a big movie.]

Salon brings you only what's most relevant! Here's an article about a palm reader's analysis of Arnold's palm print. My question: if she's analyzing the palm print and not the palm itself... might she be getting a backwards reading?

Today, it's all about California. Good luck, folks. I have a feeling the Burly Man is going to win. And I didn't need to read any palms to gain this insight. If I'm wrong, I'll make sweet love with Liz Hurley.

Just what South Koreans need: cell phone tapping!

Maybe we'll be seeing a recall election in Korea (did Oranckay once refer to this possibility?). I'm being facetious, but an article like this does make one wonder. Folks aren't happy.

A Chosun Ilbo editorial on NK defectors and the (temporary?) closing of the SK consulate in Beijing because there are just so many defectors.

JoongAng Ilbo weighs in.

So does the Dong-A Ilbo.

From Frank J on Israel's recent attack on Syria:

When Israel attacked Syria, we should have followed up. It would be just like that scene in Predator when a guy sees the predator and starts firing and, though no one else knows what he's firing at, they fire in the same direction. We should be like that because Israel is our ally, or, in the least, because we like shooting stuff.

I had a "Predator"-related thought yesterday. Every "big" cast member from that film should run for governor of some US state. Jesse's done it. Arnold's probably going to do it. Frank J's above paragraph refers to the amazing Bill Duke (cool actor, cooler director), who goes nuts after the Predator kills Jesse Ventura's character. Bill take's "Ol' Painless," a retrofitted helicopter minigun, from Jesse's fallen corpse and singlehandedly deforests the area in front of him. Along with Bill Duke we've got Carl Weathers, who's got at least as much charm as Arnold, and hasn't gone to seed like poor Billy Dee Williams. I think they need to run for office, these folks.

Final comment: quite a few of the blogs on my blogroll are powered by Blog City, but I couldn't view them this evening-- they kept coming up as "Forbidden." Strange. I imagine this is a Blog City problem, not a South Korean government problem.


Amen.
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